We can quell our fear of death through belief in the risen Lord

Here is a Latin tag that you do not often hear:Timor mortis conturbat me– the fear of death disturbs me. It was once part of the responsories in the Office of the Dead in the old breviary, but I cannot find any trace of it in my new breviary, which is rather a pity, as it has a fine ring to it. I suppose the phrase fell victim to the liturgical reforms, as the Dies Irae did. This wonderful poem, once used at every Requiem Mass, is now not found in the Roman Missal; but it lives on in the concert hall, and there is nothing to stop you having it during a funeral, as fwar as I can see, even if it was removed from the Missal by Archbishop Bugnini.

The concept of the fear of death, which is so vividly conveyed by the Dies Irae was once a staple of Catholic preaching. Many are the older people who tell me that once upon a time every sermon they heard was about the Four Last Things, a phrase that one would probably have to explain to a younger Catholic. One favourite trick of the preacher was to end his sermon, I am told, thus: “The tree that contains the wood for your coffin is growing in the forest; indeed it may have already been cut down!” And even I have visited cemeteries, though not in England, that bear the legend: “As you now are, we once were; as we now are, you one day will be.”

But gone are the days of the memento mori. Gone too, by and large, in many places, is the cult of the Holy Souls. Most visitors to Malta, for example, would be stumped by those lovely roadside statues showing a soul in purgatory, designed to impel the passer-by to pray for the dead.

Gone to is the language of death: what was once a joke in Evelyn Waugh’s novel The Loved One, has become the norm. I will never forget a very cross nurse telling me “We do not use that word here!” The word in question was ‘death’. People no longer die in hospitals, they deteriorate. But changing the language has not changed the experience. It still happens, and there are no exceptions to the universal rule.

While we have all done our best to hem Death in and make his depredations more manageable, Death is not really amenable to human management. I am in thrall to Ernest Becker’s 1973 book The Denial of Death. Death is the great enemy, the one reality that we spend our lives denying, and all to no avail. Is euthanasia, or assisted dying as it prefers to call itself, our latest attempt at denial? Are we trying to tame Death, to reduce it to something that we can all cope with, to exercise control over this last unsubjugated force?

Some years ago a very famous lady died in New York City, and her family announced that she “met death on her own terms”. This unusual expression led some to speculate that she had died with medical assistance. If one were terminally ill, and one decided to choose the manner and time of one’s departure, thus avoiding pain and uncertainty, would that be an effective cheating of Death? Would it be Death on our terms, or at least the best terms we can manage?

A few days ago, at the risk of sounding like a doctrinaire Marxist, I said that I suspected that the desire for euthanasia was driven by economic motives. I still believe this. But naturally, many other motives may be at work as well, and the fear of Death and the fear of pain may well play a major part too.

Humanity has been here before. The popular ancient philosophies of Stoicism and Epicureanism (the latter much misunderstood), both of which have some passing resemblance to Christianity, aimed to sooth the fear of Death, which was assumed to be the great fear that haunted all men. The Romans watched gladiatorial contests because this was supposed to make them brave and despise death. They too had a cult of suicide. Seneca’s suicide was held up as a noble and brave act, the act of a true philosopher. And yet the real cure for the fear of Death was not found in watching people die, or in philosophy. It was found in faith, faith in the Risen Christ, to which the martyrs testified. They were not afraid of dying, because they believed in the Resurrection of Christ in which they hoped to sahre. We need to rediscover our belief in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died, and rose again, faith in whom will overcome even the fear of death.

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Comments

Comment Policy

At The Catholic Herald we want our articles to provoke spirited and lively debate. We also want to ensure the discussions hosted on our website are carried out in civil terms.

All commenters are therefore politely asked to ensure that their posts respond directly to points raised in the particular article or by fellow contributors, and that all responses are respectful.

mikethelionheart

Excellent article.
And timely.

Jacobi

The modern world, and sadly, increasingly Catholics, respond to the fear of death with hedonism in an attempt to shut it out.

But sooner or later it comes and it is not likely to be pleasant in spite of all that “and he died peacefully in his sleep” nonsense.

When it comes, we will not be on our own. Our Lady will be with, “and at the hour of our death” us as will, if you have asked him, our Guardian Angel.

Personally, it is not death, but rather Judgement that makes me feel a bit jumpy.

I like the old army expression (not that I have ever been on the receiving end of bullets) that somewhere, there is a bullet heading your way and it has your number on it.

Wilf Jones

Bloody good article, father.

MIKE

When we fear death, we know that something is wrong in our life since we are not at peace with God.
When we fear death it is past time to examine our conscience.

We need to hear homilies on: Sin, Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell, so that people might better prepare.
None of us know when our life is up, and then we will immediately be judged on our own acts of commission and omission.

Monthly “Confession” is important. God is merciful to those who repent.

Marianne

Jacobi, Thank you for reminding me that “Our Lady” will be with us “and at the hour of our death” Amen . That is a very comforting thought.

Sara_TMS_again

I completely agree that following Christ to the end is the right way to face death, and we should talk about this more.

As Lord Gordon said in the Lords debate a short while ago, one thing I hope these debates will lead to is the recognition that we as a society need to talk more about death. That’s also true of the Church, I believe.

MEENA999

“The Church must remind us again about the certainty of death”
Does anyone need reminding? (Or do you mean something else?)
We all know this. Younger people often find this knowledge motivates them to derive the maximum pleasure from as many different experiences as possible (“you only live once”).
When nearing the end of life we sometimes contemplate the fact with a degree of resignation – particularly if we are enjoying living.

“We can quell our fear of death through belief in the risen Lord.” Yes, of course, that’s very common, many people do this.

MEENA999

“The concept of the fear of death, which is so vividly conveyed by the Dies Irae was once a staple of Catholic preaching”

Surely Dies Irae invokes the fear of the judgement of God after death and the fear that He may be angry with us and dispatch us to Hell. It is reasonable for an atheist to feel a fear of death and the loss (for many) of this sweet life, even though s/he believes that s/he will not experience death – but only the process of dying, whilst still living.

ContraMundum

Father, I enjoyed reading your article. My Dad died unexpectedly earlier this month and I was reminded of the bitter reality of death. His death filled me with fear because it brought home the truth that death may come unheralded at any time. We know neither the day nor hour when our life will end. When that time comes, will we be in a State of Grace? What will be our Eternity? We should all pray for a Happy Death, and we should never neglect the Holy Souls in Purgatory; after all, we may end up there ourselves. May I recommend a book by St. Alphonsus entitled “Preparation for Death.” It’s a fantastic book. I read one meditation from it every day.

Samuel Johnson

Watching the debate in the House of Lords today it seemed pretty clear that most of the lords and ladies in favour were motivated by their own fear of dying. Some even said they had watched loved ones die perfectly peacefully and happily but would support the Bill because of the risk that they might not have done. One lord (I forget his name) pointed out quite honestly that we cannot control our own lives and have to accept what we are given with “trust and faith”. Remains to be seen whether they will follow this hint.

MIKE

There is nothing more certain than death.
There is nothing more uncertain than its’ time.

4 Last Things –
Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell.
Live every day as if it was your last.

MIKE

Everyone will determine Heaven or Hell based upon his/her own actions of commission and omission.
People send themselves to Hell.

God wants us all to be in Heaven with Him, but He gave us a free will to choose.
God is merciful for those who repent. This has always been the teaching of the Church. It is the teaching of Jesus as seen in the Bible.
Even John the Baptist told us to repent.

Our personal judgment by Jesus will be immediately upon our death
No one knows the day or the hour..

sceptic_again

There is a lot in this article which I agree with. Death is inevitable and not to be feared. For a non believer like me what matters is how I live now and how comfortable I feel with it. I derive pleasure from being able to help others when I can. One thing I am though often puzzled about is the behaviour of those with a firm belief in “God” and an afterlife. Why is death is not welcomed more readily, and even craved after? If the next world is indeed a better place why attempt to delay getting there? Surely those who die are the lucky ones. In this regard the approach of the Muslim martyr makes some sense.

However I have to take issue with this phrase:-

” Is euthanasia, or assisted dying as it prefers to call itself”

The association of assisted dying with euthanasia has been a constant theme in this publication in recent times. It seems to me to be really important that the difference between the two concepts is clearly understood and recognised.

The OED defines euthanasia thus:-

“The painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma”

The difference is whose motivation is responsible for the action? If the doctors, or nurses, involved were motivated to kill then it would indeed be euthanasia, but this is not their motivation. Their motivation is to provide assistance to the patient so as to enable them to take their own life. The motivation is the patient’s and the action is therefore suicide, and not euthanasia.

You might well also disapprove of suicide, but it is important that these things are discussed accurately and without the baggage of inappropriate terminology.

You and your “God” can define it whichever way you like. However, “murder” is also a legally defined term, and the law applies to us all. In fact euthanasia is regarded as murder. whilst “assisted dying”, should it become lawful, would not be regarded as either euthanasia or murder. It would receive it’s own unique legal definition.

JEnn

It would appear that what Becker was trying to say went right over your head.

TieHard

I think the martyrs were afraid of dying .. it is only human to be afraid of death..the point is they pushed through this fear by faith. I have been in the emergency room several times and been close to death at one point my legs were shaking with fear……anyone who says they are not afraid you probably wouldn’t meet anyone not even the saints who are not afraid when looking at the face of death. Death entered the world through Adams sin. Death is sin the work of the enemy. The book of Wisdom tells us that death was not God’s plan. He didn’t choose this for us. When Jesus came to his friend Lazuras’ tomb he wept, wept at his friends death. The gospels also tell us Jesus in his humanity was terribly afraid especially in the Garden of Gethsemane as he faced a cruel death. He carried on… obeying his Father’s Will. Luckily we as Catholics have the knowledge that Jesus conquered death and there is resurrection in the Mercy of God’s love. I was luckier than others on my hospital ward, I had the sacrament of the sick to comfort me; as the oil touched my forehead I was given a spiritual experience that gave me great comfort ( I wont mention what it was as I think this gift must be everyone’s experience at the given time).. but I had great confidence and faith ( at the time I said if a thousand people lined up and said I was wrong about Jesus they would not sway me ) but the fear of Death, the great enemy was still there as the evil it is. On my ward one woman told me that before she was revived she was surrounded in light and felt she was on feathers it was so beautiful compared with the blackness and pain she felt when she was brought back; she had wanted to stay. The last time I was in hospital with my heart the pain was bad and I felt really miserable. I told this to my friend who is the hospital chaplain. He said yes.. a man who had died last week had said ” its bloody miserable this dying….” What is a Joy is the gift of resurrection .. Through the power of God….

676aldhelmstown710

When my mother died her solicitor handed me and my siblings a sealed envelope sealed many years earlier from her ( my Mother ) expressing her undying love and affection for all three of us and several biblical quotations including Joshua Ch.1 V9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”. I still have the original letter in the MUST KEEP file

Jacobi

You raise a very good point. My life was I suppose saved some time ago by a medical procedure and I’m in two minds about it. I mean I could be up there enjoying myself instead of having to cope with the side effects of the “cure”. Also I feel doubly responsible for whatever time is left to me. Mark you on the other hand I might not be up there?

But you are right in that good Catholics should not fear the idea of death as opposed to dying which let’s not kid ourselves is likely to be rather unpleasant in whatever way it comes. I just don’t believe all that rubbish about dying peacefully in sleep.

The Catholic position is simple and clear. Life is sacred and it is up to God to decide when we die. Suicide is a mortal sin and assisting suicide is complicity in mortal sin.

You, by the way, had better have some good arguments up your sleeve in case you do wake up or whatever, and find yourself having to answer some awkward questions, eh!

sceptic_again

Thanks. I truly don’t believe I will ever have to answer those questions but, in the very unlikely event that I am wrong, am totally comfortable with my position. An honest man is always an honest man. An all knowing “God” will know that. I do my best, because that is the right thing to do, and not because of a set of rules which have been devised elsewhere. Pretending to believe is never going to fool a God. Not for me is “Pascal’s wager”.

I have often wondered what it must have been like for the really true believer when they died and then realised they were wrong all along but, of course, they don’t. At least they die with hope in their hearts. I often think that is why a lot of people try to believe. If you get it wrong then you lose nothing, but if you get it right then maybe you win something. “Pascal’s wager” again. What a waste.

TieHard

What I object to is the word…. patient…..
we are talking about a person

Jacobi

I suspect the real waste is in the life style of the “you only live once” atheist types. They always seem so unhappy.
Right that’s it. Peace be with you. Out!

RoboticDentures

Oooooh Errrrr! *clasping handbag, leaning back* I must have hit a raw nerve with your opening paragraph, septic-again. *tsk! tsk!
tsk!*
You typical atheist, you – any mention of GOD brings out the worst in the likes of you. What a hoot! I’m having a good old LOL at you!
Is it the realisation that the Oxford English Dictionary isn’t as ancient as the Word of God after all? Then scientists will make yet another discovery that Darwin was way-off with his evolution jobby.
Hmmmm… that’s the same reaction as Old Red Legs himself aka Satan. The Devil, Beelzeebub, Old Nick, Lucifer who just LOVES messing with your dense head by making death sound nice, instilling cowardice in the disguise of ‘compassion’.
I bet you’ll be cacking your pants when the medic tells you your time is almost up, realising that you are not invincible.
What a let-down humanity is! What is there to look forward to only to be ‘committed to the ground to decompose’ Ha! Ha! Ha! The ground would be polluted with deadly chemicals if you had your way, sunny jim!
That’s why you’d rather go to the vets and ask them to give you the toxic needle to finish you off quickly than persevere and take even a thimbleful of fortitude and a modicum of hope.
You and your so-called poisonous opinions. Drink that poison yourself and go insult someone else, you waste of space.

sceptic_again

If that nonsensical diatribe survives for long I will be very surprised.

It breaks all the rules and shows a complete lack of Christian charity.

You make no point that justifies an answer.

RoboticDentures

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, said recently that we shouldn’t argue with the Devil. The Pope’s thinking is that the Devil likes to wear people out, just as Ole Red Legs attempted to do so when Christ fasted and prayed in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights – until Christ told him to go away!
I saw your reply to my posts and thought of you straight away…
…but…oooh, boy! It was soooo good to let off steam in your direction at 200psi, septic_all-the-time!

What about your base, insulting invalidation and venom when you wrote the following, eh? Quote:

”You and your “God” can define it whichever way you like.”
Wow! If THAT statement isn’t diffusing the stench of diabolic arrogance – I don’t know what is!
I can take it, sunshine! It appears you can’t!

You are moaning and whingeing and whingeing and moaning because somebody tells it like it really is with Church Teaching in a language only you understand (i.e. Diatribe) … and you go wee-wee-wee-ing all the way to the Moderator because, in your view, I have broken the rules and have shown – in your view once AGAIN – ”a complete lack of Christian charity!”
ROFLMSO!

When Christ says ‘turn the other cheek’, He did not mean that Christians should be lily-livered doormats! You and your like think you have the high and mighty right to wipe your cruddy boots on Catholics when you feel like it and spit the proverbial dummy when we stand up to you!

As far as legalised murder is concerned, I rest my case!

I’m sick and tired of holding my whisht when it comes to the likes of you!
Perhaps I’ve played into your hands, septic tank, but no matter what source, what factual chapter and verse and chapter and paragraph and sub-paragraph is quoted to you and your like to tell you WHY the Church stands by Her Teachings and CAN’T CHANGE – whether on a 24 carat gold platter of politeness, meekness and courtesy … you don’t get it or rather REFUSE to GET IT! Why? It’s because your grey matter is elsewhere on your person – I won’t say where!

Nonsensical diatribe? You and your like are the very purveyor of such stuff on this Catholic website and others and Moderators keep them on and don’t take them off … I’m guessing here, it’s done for the sake of ”balance”!

… and what is YOUR definition of ‘Christian charity’? Confine ourselves to the insides of the walls of our parishes every Sunday and Holy Day with our faith and effectively ”clock out” like a factory for the rest of the flipping week? Drop some food and stuff off at the nearest Food Bank? Shake a tin for a few coppers on a street to help the Third World? Help an old person across the road?
That, my friend DOES NOT even reach the tip of the iceberg but is a mere ice cube by comparison!
You see, Christian charity is NEVER to become a nodding dog to flatter your falsehoods or countenance several attempts at turning people away from GOD and His Church with your distain for faith.

The Catholic Church CANNOT CHANGE its teaching on legalised murder. Deal with it! Come to terms with it! Nothing that you or your like spew out on this subject will change that fact.

So, continue to be deluded!

And don’t give me ”all that!” about secular law! Martyrs for the Catholic faith have given their lives because of laws that flew and still fly in the face of GOD!

If the Moderators wish to wipe away this post or my previous one – so flaming what? Am I bothered? No.
Go right on ahead.

sceptic_again

Ok folks. Here we have a Christian attacking an “atheist” (which I am not).

I trust your fellows are proud to associate themselves with the above. I would not be.

I have no problem at all with the Catholic Church not be able to change it’s teaching on “legalised murder”. I join them. It is something we should never contemplate, let alone permit.

That though, strangely enough, is NOT the issue, though many seem to think it is.